Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne is one of the few synagogues in the region that keeps growing, wrote Jarrad Saffren for the Jewish Exponent.

Since the start of the pandemic, membership at Beth David has increased to a little more than 300 households. Between 30 and 40 people are present at each weekly hybrid Shabbat service. The synagogue also has 90 religious school students and 15 bar and bat mitzvahs each year.

Senior Rabbi Beth Kalisch and Cantor Lauren Goodlev are quick to note that Beth David is not as big as many other local Reform synagogues, and as such, it has a lower number to maintain. However, they do admit that growth is growth and people are drawn to this “synagogue in the woods.”

The rabbi and cantor believe that people who come find it uplifting and appreciate the connections it forges.

One popular program is its “Shema groups” — gatherings of people that share common life experiences and interests to address prayer, work, study, and rest — in 2018.

“It’s a joyful place where people can learn about themselves and be themselves,” said Kalisch.

Read more about Beth David Reform Congregation in the Jewish Exponent.

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Here are Senior Rabbi Beth Kalisch and Cantor Lauren Goodlev, singing Psalm 97 in a 2021 video from Beth David Reform Congregation.